In the Deep End
by Haleylovesyou39
Summary: Robin teaches Starfire to swim during their vacation... but things soon heat up between the two Titans. Can Robin let his guard down? Or will he tear himself away from Starfire? R&R please!


**A/N: -cough,cough- sooo... first, I apologize for the lack of stories the past few days. My family and I - all 9 of us - went on vacation, and I couldn't post stories to FanFiction. I was, however, able to catch up on my reviews, and as always, you guys are amazing for all the support you give. Now, the bright side of vacationing... I had a bunch of spare time to write. So, I have several stories to share, which I will post as soon as I can. So I hope you enjoy this lovely little one shot, and all the stories that follow. As usual, reviews are loved, constructive criticism is welcome, and you are all loved. Now, please read and enjoy.**

**"I can't forget about my heart; the way it felt to fall for you right from the start."**

**~ Forget About Love**

* * *

Starfire dipped her foot into the clear water tentatively, looking back at Robin with a curious look on her face. He smiled at her, assuring her that it was okay. She took a step into the pool, gasping.

"Robin! It is warm!" She exclaimed, grabbing the Boy Wonder's arms and pulling him onto the steps with her. He chuckled, taking in her purple bikini, which highlighted her curves so well. The top was strapless, and the bottom was frilly; both pieces covered up just enough skin to make Starfire look modest, while showing just enough skin to keep Robin happy.

"The water's supposed to be warm, Star. It's summer."

"Yes, but I've never experienced the pool of swimming before, and did not realize the water would be this wonderful." Starfire responded, wading deeper into the small pool. Robin frowned, following her in. A part of him still didn't believe that Starfire didn't know how to swim. She was the girl who could do everything. Starfire had defeated her own sister, saved Jump City on many occasions, and had just helped save Tokyo: all very difficult tasks. Yet here she stood, running her hands over the pool water as if it would try and destroy her at any minute.

"Remind me again why you can't swim." Robin prompted, leaning against the wall of the pool. The hotel lights sparkled behind him, and Starfire smiled.

"There were no pools of swimming or other bodies of water on my home planet. And when I came here, well, I realized that it took a lot of effort to learn the art of swimming. I had believed it was too difficult for me to learn."

"It's not difficult. It just takes some practice." Robin replied, grabbing both of her hands. He led her further out, until the water reached her waist.

"Most humans learn to swim when they are young, correct?" She asked, eyeing the water around her.

"Yes. But it's never too late to learn. Now, let your feet float off of the ground." Robin instructed. Starfire obeyed, gasping as her legs soared towards the surface. She kept a tight grip on Robin's hands, watching his steady face as she floated on the water. She found that swimming was much like flying; her body felt weightless as she moved, responding to all of Robin's instructions. Her legs kicked behind her, glowing beneath the moonlight. Robin observed this, finding it harder and harder to concentrate as Starfire's swimming lessons became more in-depth.

He walked to her side, placing his hands underneath her stomach so that he could release her arms. She shivered at his touch, momentarily forgetting that she was supposed to be kicking her legs.

"Now move your arms the same way you've been kicking your legs. Right arm. Left arm. Right arm. Left arm. Right-" Robin's voice trailed off as Starfire moved her limbs in a rhythmic pattern. He could see water droplets traveling down the skin on her lower back, and he held in a groan as her stomach muscles twisted lightly beneath his fingertips.

"Like this?" Starfire inquired, glancing back towards Robin. He peeled his eyes away from her long legs to glance into her emerald eyes. They were sparkling with joy, and he felt a sense of desire burning in his stomach as he nodded his head.

"You're doing great." Robin reassured her. Water splashed towards his face as her feet kicked harder, but he disregarded the spray, focusing instead on the way her shoulder blades moved. He thought this would be a good way to focus on her swimming without getting, well, distracted, but he soon found his eyes wandering over her skin. His eyes were interrupted by her purple top, and he instinctively leaned down, brushing his lips over the skin right above the piece of fabric.

Starfire's body went still as she felt Robin's lips glide up her back, leaving a burning trail behind. He kissed the top of her shoulder, and she sighed, standing up in the water to face him. Their lips met briefly, and Starfire smiled into the kiss, noting the way that she and Robin's mouths fit together.

"Sorry." Robin whispered, locking his hands together behind her back. She smiled, trailing a hand over his stomach, her fingers tracing an outline of his abs. Subconsciously, Robin wondered where she'd learned to do things like this. Small things that drove Robin insane with lust. After all, they'd only been "officially" together for 5 days now, and it wasn't like they were spending all their vacation time making out. Yet Starfire still knew exactly what to do. She knew when to press herself against him and when to pull away. When to run her fingers through his hair and which spot on his neck made him shiver when she kissed it. What ear to whisper his name into and what pattern to draw on his shoulder with her finger. Maybe those things just came naturally to Starfire. Or perhaps they had spent more vacation time alone than Robin realized.

"There is no need to apologize." Starfire responded, leaning her forehead against his shoulder. She locked her hands behind his neck, allowing him to pull her through the silky water. He leaned back against the pool wall, finding her lips in the darkness. There was nothing brief or light about this kiss; the Titans'' lips slammed together roughly, their tongues battling for dominance as soon as Robin could pry Starfire's mouth open. She pulled herself tighter against him, eliciting a gasp from Robin as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"Star," Robin whispered, pushing her hair away from her glowing face. She smiled and leaned her forehead against Robin's. So many things ran through her mind at that moment, but the most prominent thought in her mind was how much she wanted this. How much she wanted Robin. Not in a sexual way, of course. Starfire knew of the physical actions that bound two people together. Galfore had taught her of this when she was young, explaining how the universe always needed more people, but only under the circumstances that love was involved. Then she had come to Earth, where some people treated their bondage to others as a game. One that did not involve love.

The way she wanted Robin was different. She wanted to be close to him, to make up for all the time they had lost while being "just heroes." She wanted to know ever part of the Boy Wonder, and she wanted to know that she was his and he was hers, and that nothing was going to come between them.

Robin ran a hand down Starfire's side, and she giggled, kissing his bottom lip sweetly. He cupped the back of her neck, holding her there, taking in the taste of her lips.

"Kids, the pool closes in 10 minutes." A deep voice said, and the two heroes jumped apart. An old, rotund man stood behind the gate that surrounded the pool. His head was balding, and his cheeks were flushed, clearly embarrassed that he had interrupted Starfire and Robin.

"Thanks. We'll be out of here by then." Robin replied, wrapping an arm around Starfire's waist. The man left, and Robin guided her towards the pool steps. They stepped out, and Starfire shivered in the cold night air. Robin wrapped a towel around her shoulders and pulled her against him, kissing her cheek.

"Sorry that I sort of failed as a swimming teacher." Robin joked, laying his arm over her shoulders as they headed back towards the hotel. She laughed and leaned into him.

"Perhaps you did not fail at teaching me. Maybe I just need more lessons." Starfire replied, winking at him. He laughed, a chill running down his spine. Times like these reminded Robin of why he had held off on being with Starfire. They got so lost in each other when they were alone, that even Slade could dance circles around them in an Elvis costume, completely unnoticed. When he was alone with her, Starfire was the only thing that mattered. There were no people to save, and there were no bad guys to fight. For normal couples, this would have been a heavenly feeling. But for heroes, it was bad news. Robin's instincts told him to run. His heart, however, was pulling in a completely different direction.

"Oh no," Starfire sighed, stepping away from Robin. The towel slipped from her shoulders, and Robin frowned at her.

"What's wrong?"

"You're thinking." She replied, crossing her arms over her chest. Her eyes studied the pavement, and Robin froze in place.

He laughed uneasily and scratched the back of his neck, "is thinking a bad thing?"

"When you're thinking about how bad this is for us, yes." Starfire said, glancing into his mask briefly. He reached his hand out to grip her shoulder, but she pulled away. "Starfire, I'm not-"

"Robin, you cannot lie to me. I know this is bad for us. But isn't it also good?" Robin's eyebrows knit together, and he pulled Starfire to the curb, sitting down next to her.

"Starfire, it's not that this - us being together - is a bad thing. It's just difficult."

"Nothing can ever be easy, Robin."

"I know. And I'm not complaining, trust me. I love being with you, Starfire. It's like I waited so long, wondering what was missing... and I've finally found it. But it's different now."

"Different?" Starfire cocked her head to the side, and Robin took her hands in his, pleased that she didn't pull away this time. He traced the lines on her palm with his finger, pulling her hand to his mouth and kissing the inside of her wrist. He was collecting his thoughts, and Starfire waited patiently, studying his face.

"I'm on edge. Used to be, I was just protecting Starfire, my best friend. Now I'm protecting Starfire, my girlfriend and best friend. And it scares me, thinking about how I could lose you in a second."

"But I can protect mys-"

"I know you're perfectly capable of defending yourself. Trust me, I know. But that doesn't stop me from worrying. I still fear that someone's going to use you against me. Or even the other way around. I've lived my whole life putting my personal needs on hold to sustain the life of a hero. But now..."

"I am a personal need?"

Robin nodded, looking out across the hotel parking lot. In the distance, a car horn honked, then the night fell back into its comfortable blanket of silence. Robin could hear Starfire's slow and steady breathing, and he glanced over at her to see her wipe a stray tear from her eye.

"Starfire."

"Robin, I do not wish to be a problem for you. If you do not want to be with me, then I cannot blame you."

"Starfire, you're not a problem for me, and I do want to be with you," Robin said, cupping her face in his hands. She leaned into his touch, smiling as he brushed his lips against hers.

"Truthfully?"

"Completely. Star, we can make this work. I know we can. It won't be easy, but it will be worth it." Robin said, connecting his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and smiled against his lips

"Yes," he thought, pulling her close to him as they became lost in their own desires for the second time that night, "this is worth it. Starfire is worth it."


End file.
